Honeymoon Baby
by Caity Marie
Summary: Sequel to Arranged What? :Astoria received news she hadn't expected on her honeymoon; she was pregnant. Now she not only has to get used to marriage but pregnancy as well. Can a child in an arranged marriage grow up in a loving household? Can Astoria and Draco grow close or will they fall apart? Astoria hopes to answer these questions, and preferably sooner rather than later.
1. Chapter 1

"Draco! Where are you?! We are going to be late!"

Astoria was standing at the bottom of the stairs of their house, shifting her weight to her other foot as she looked at the clock on the wall. It was a week before Christmas, almost three months since their wedding, and since their eventful honeymoon. Of course it wasn't until afterwards she found out how likely it had been she would get pregnant on her honeymoon. Her mother had failed to inform her that the same thing had happened to her on her own honeymoon. Astoria had been forced to bite her tongue to keep from cursing, but she did leave on that note. While it was something neither Draco nor herself were prepared for they had dealt with it, attending the Healer appointments together and reading what books they could get their hands on to prepare included on that long list.

It was an appointment they were getting ready to head to, if Draco would get downstairs quicker. Already there was a small bump of a baby on Astoria's once flat stomach, and small twinges of pain on her lower back though it was nothing she couldn't deal with. After suffering through morning sickness until her Healer had given her a potion she could take she would gladly suffer a bit of back pain. It was most thankful the majority of her clothes still fit her, Astoria having not had a chance or a want to shop for maternity clothing. She had opted for a plain blue shirt that day that cinched just below her breasts and above her stomach with a pair of Muggle blue jeans and flat black boots. Already she had her black peacoat on, the belt of the coat tied around her waist and barely concealing the bump.

Letting out another sigh she shook her head. "Draco! Will you hurry up? You know how lucky we are to get in before Christmas! If we are late there won't be time to find out whether it's a boy or a girl!" She yelled again, finally hearing his footsteps at the top of the stairs.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." Draco mumbled, practically tripped down the stairs in his haste to get down stairs. "You know we have plenty of time right? It's not going to take us that long to get there."

"Oh I know, but if I didn't say something to get you moving we would never get there." Astoria responded simply, a small smirk pulling the corner of her mouth up.

At that Draco let out a laugh and shook his head, pulling his coat out of the closet and pulling it on. "And here I thought I was the conniving one of this relationship." He comment as he opened the door, letting Astoria walk out ahead of him.

It was Astoria's turn to laugh at that. "Oh come now, conniving is a Slytherin trait, we were both bound to have at least a bit of that talent. I just know when to put mine to use." Draco didn't seem to have a comment to that, Astoria seeing him shaking his head before he changed the topic.

"So shall we apparate to St. Mungo's?" Draco asked politely, offering his arm.

Giving a nod Astoria responded, "I believe we shall." As she placed a hand on his arm, a second later being pulled away. In what felt like no time her feet was on solid ground, Astoria having to pause for a moment to regain her equilibrium. "I think we may need to find another way to get here. I'm not sure how much longer I can take that." She commented quietly, keeping a hand on Draco as he slowly lead her down the street to the correct building.

"Then we will just Floo. If that doesn't work, we'll think of something else. Maybe the Healer has a solution." Draco responded, sounding so reasonable though Astoria wasn't so confident about that herself. She simply nodded though, not having a better response at that moment. Within a minute they had reached the building, the outdated mannequins looking down at them for a moment before they stepped through the glass into a busy lobby.

It was always fascinating to Astoria to see the assortment of witches and wizards waiting their turn. The odds of seeing something new and unusual were great, though that wasn't enough of a desire for her to want to deal with it every day like the Healers. Passing the lobby they headed to the lift, taking it to their floor. The lobby there was a lot less busy, though there were still plenty of expecting mothers and their husbands. Astoria found a seat in the corner while Draco checked them in, avoiding the curious looks from the others in the room. After a moment Draco had sat down beside her, the looks not quite subsiding but focused on Draco instead of her.

Even though they were on time they still had to wait, one other couple being called back before they did. At the sound of her name Astoria stood up, her legs shaky as she was now nervous. Still she didn't feel ready for this, ready for any of it, and at times she felt like if she didn't show up to these appointments it would just go away. Of course her ever growing stomach proved her otherwise, but it was still a thought she couldn't chase away. As Draco placed a hand on her lower back though she felt some of the nerves subside, remember that Draco was just as nervous as her even if he didn't show it.

Astoria was shown a room and asked to change into a gown and take a seat before they were left alone again, the door shutting behind the training Healer. With a slightly shaking hand Astoria worked on undressing, draping her clothes over a chair in the corner though leaving her undergarments on. Picking up the gown she put it on, slit in the front, and took a seat on bed. It was especially moments like that that she felt like she was pregnant, her small bump pushing the gown open just slightly. Taking a slow steady breath she heard Draco move the chair over beside the bed, sitting down and taking her hand though not speaking; he didn't have to.

When the door opened again they both jumped, bringing a small smile to the Healer's face. "Good afternoon Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy. Shall we begin?" Healer Johnson asked before she continued. "Just a check-up correct? And I believe at this point we will be able to tell the sex of the baby. Is that something you are both wanting?"

Astoria looked up at Draco, the two of them having discussed it though not much. Clearing her throat she looked at Healer Johnson. "Yes, yes we do want to know." She answered, glancing at Draco to see him nod in agreement.

"Very well. Alright Mrs. Malfoy if I could just get you to lie back, please. You know the drill." Healer Johnson said, making notes on her parchment before setting it down, pulling up a seat on the opposite side of the bed beside Astoria.

Draco gave Astoria's hand one last squeeze before releasing it so she could swing her feet up onto the bed and lay back. Even lying on her back was an odd experience, seeing a bump instead of essentially nothing. She kept silent though as she looked up at the screen that was on an angle where the wall met the ceiling where the image would be projected. Biting the inside of her lip she felt Draco take her hand off the bed, holding it with both of his.

"If you're ready Mrs. Malfoy." Healer Johnson said, receiving a nod from Astoria before she raised her wand. Astoria didn't even watch the clockwise swirl of the Healer's wand this time, able to see out of her peripheral vision as her stomach glowed just slightly before the image appeared on the screen.

Astoria's breath caught in her throat at the sight, as it did every time they had an appointment and saw the baby. The detail always amazed her; the small nose, the tiny hands and feet. After a moment they could hear the heartbeat through the room, the Healer concentrating on the image as Astoria just stared in amazement. Almost a minute later the heartbeat softened, Astoria knowing by that point it was Healer Johnson who made that happen so she could talk.

"Well Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, you seem to have a healthy baby here. Everything is developing as it should, and the heartbeat is strong as you heard. Now, you wanted to know the sex, if you will look right there you can see; you're having a baby boy Mrs. Malfoy." Healer Johnson said, her voice ending softly as she told Astoria and Draco.

"Are you sure?" Draco finally said, the first words he'd spoken since they were taken back.

"Oh yes Mr. Malfoy, quite sure. It will be a baby boy to inherit the Malfoy name." Healer Johnson responded, Astoria almost able to hear the smile in her voice. She couldn't quite pull her eyes away from the image though until it had faded and Healer Johnson had told her she could get dressed as she went to get them a picture to take. As Astoria sat up she looked at Draco, a wide smile on his face as he raised a hand to her face, wiping a tear she hadn't known had fallen off her cheek.


	2. Chapter 2

For some reason the news made it more of a reality in Astoria's mind. Sure she had seen the positive test, or tests rather, and had seen the images, and had even heard the flutter of a heartbeat. But having the Healer confirm something so definite, so vital, really seemed to break through in Astoria's mind that this was really happening; she was pregnant, with Draco Malfoy's child. Growing up that never would've been something she would've considered in both her best dreams and her worst nightmares. And yet now it was a stark reality, staring her in the face as she stood in front of the mirror.

It was a habit she had picked up recently, since she had started showing she was pregnant really. After her showers, before she would get dressed and after she brushed out her hair, Astoria would stand in front of the mirror over the sink looking at her silhouette. Originally it was really to convince herself it was real, that it was really happening. Since the appointment a mere three days ago it had changed. Now she would stand there, still looking at her silhouette, but instead of convincing herself it was real she was trying to imagine the future. What she would look like in another month, or at the end of her pregnancy at a full nine months, or how she would look standing there holding a baby boy. All possibilities brought a sense of dread to the pit of her stomach, but Astoria was realizing that was more out of nerves than anything else.

"Astoria? Are you almost ready? We're going to be late."

Astoria jumped at the sound of Draco's voice from the other side of the bathroom door. Honestly she wasn't even close to ready, standing there in her undergarments and not much else. That's not what she said though. "Just ten more minutes Draco, and we won't be late." Astoria responded loud enough for him to here. They were getting ready to head to the Malfoy French chateau for the Christmas holiday. It was there they intended on revealing to his parents they were having a boy, something else that was making Draco pace around nervous.

Giving herself one last look in the mirror Astoria pulled her eyes away, instead grabbing the clothes she had laid out to put on. Shimmying into the black Muggle skinny jeans she let out a breath as they barely buttoned. Shaking her head slightly she reached for the tunic length green sweater and pulled that on. The v-neck of the sweater was just deep enough for her to put her emerald pendant on and it would lay coolly against her skin. Leaving her hair straight she didn't bother with anything else, grabbing her wand off the counter and heading towards the door. When the door opened Draco was on the other side, pacing as she had expected.

She didn't point that out though, instead commenting upon their plans. "Do you have everything packed?" Their plans were to stay there throughout the holidays, and Draco had assured her he would pack she had left him alone to get ready. But a quick glance around the room showed no bags ready to go.

"Yes I do. They're down by the fireplace." Draco answered briefly before apparently realizing he was pacing. When he stopped he looked over at her, Astoria standing by the door of the bedroom as she waited for him to head downstairs with her. As he walked towards her she turned to leave the room, a hand on her arm stopping her. Pausing she looked up at Draco, who was looking down at her with a small smile on his face. "You look beautiful Astoria." Draco told her softly.

Astoria couldn't help but laugh and shake her head, looking down at the ground briefly before looking up at him. "No I don't, I look like a mess, and after traveling through the Floo I will be a hot mess." That was enough for Draco's smile to widen.

"Well you can believe what you want. But to me, you look beautiful, glowing even." Draco responded before adding, "Once you get your shoes we can leave. I don't believe we will be late, although mother may accuse us of being late."

Giving him a small smile she turned for the door again, Draco letting her this time, before she spoke. "I told you we wouldn't be late. You're just worried." Draco didn't immediately respond to that, Astoria making it down the short hall and down the stairs before he did speak.

"Yes, I am worried. Are you not?"

At that Astoria remained silent, pausing by the door long enough to grab her boots before continuing to the living room. She sat down on the couch, setting her shoes on the floor before pulling on towards her to slide on. It wasn't until she had pulled the other boot towards her that she spoke. "Yes, I am worried. I am worried. I am nervous. I am unsure. I am scared. I'm not sure I have anything I feel positive about at the moment." Astoria had spoke quietly, almost as if she was afraid to admit this stuff but in reality she felt ashamed. She shouldn't be so nervous, so scared, so worried. This was a good thing, a positive thing, and she felt the complete opposite.

Once she successfully had her boots on she placed both her feet on the floor, resting her elbows on her knees as she ran a hand through her hair. Before she could convince herself to look up Astoria felt the couch beside her sink as Draco sat down. An arm went around her, Astoria letting herself lean into him slight, her head resting on his shoulder. "I know. I understand. I am too." Draco said shortly, not elaborating on any of it. Astoria knew though just how hard it was for him to admit any fault, any emotion. It wasn't how he had been raised, and Astoria knew that. So his short words were a comfort, even if they didn't elaborate anything.

He sat there beside her until she sat up straight, Astoria letting out a sigh as Draco stood up, offering her a hand to help her up. Once she was to her feet Draco spoke again. "Well, are you ready? We don't want to keep mother waiting too long. Otherwise she will track us down."

Astoria let out a small laugh at that, knowing just how true his words were. "Yes, I'm ready. You can go first, with a few bags." She responded, blinking a few times to make herself focus on the present. Looking at Draco she saw him nod in agreement, grabbing a handful of Floo Powder and tossing it in the fire before placing a few bags in and stepping in himself. Giving Astoria one last smile he took a visible breath and spoke.

"Malfoy Chateau." Draco said firmly, a flare of fire swirling up and pulling him away.

She let out a sigh then, looking at the two bags left. Grabbing her wand out of her pocket she gave it two flicks, to lock the doors and turn out the lights, before tucking her wand back into her pocket and picking up the two light bags. Shaking her head slightly Astoria stepped into the fire, taking a deep breath before speaking.

"Malfoy Chateau." Astoria barely had a chance to close her eyes, grasping onto the bags as the fire swept up and pulled her away. The swirling did not stop until she reached an unknown fireplace, the view of Draco standing anxiously in front of her the only indication she had ended up in the right place as he reached forward to keep her from falling forward.


	3. Chapter 3

"Are you okay?"

Those were the first words from Draco, and reasonably so Astoria figured. The Floo network was never one of her favorites since she became pregnant, but it was better than Apparation. Giving him a small nod she let out a small sigh. "Yes." Taking another step into the room she dropped the two bags she had been holding, a house elf appearing seemingly out of nowhere to take all the bags. She barely blinked at their appearance though, looking at Draco as he took a step forward to put an arm around her. It was at least a good thing that she no longer stiffened at the physical contact, though it was still odd for her, considering his mother walked into the room at that moment.

"Draco! Astoria! I was beginning to worry!" Narcissa began, stopped when she noticed she still hasn't moved. "Astoria, dear, is everything alright?"

Astoria forced a smile to her face though she was sure it was a strained one. "I'm fine. It's just a bit unsettling to Floo anywhere." She responded, forcing herself to stand up straighter, look more presentable.

At that though Narcissa gave her an understanding smile. "Yes, I remember that. It was definitely a long nine months just in that aspect. I do think I had a potion that helped a bit with that though. I will have to ask Blinky if she remembers it. But come now, dinner is almost ready, perhaps some tea will help calm your stomach."

As Narcissa turned to leave Astoria and Draco had no choice but to follow. With Draco's hand on the small of her back she followed behind the older woman, out of what was likely the only room with a fireplace and into an open living area. The couches were in one corner while an open kitchen was in another, a dining room between. It was so unlike the Malfoy Manor that Astoria's mouth dropped open slightly before she could stop it. She quickly caught herself, following Narcissa over towards the couches where tea was already sitting out for them.

"Now, sit down, enjoy a cup of tea, let me track down Winky to find out about that potion." Narcissa said, walking away before hollering for Winky.

With a sigh Astoria sat down on the edge of the couch, Draco pouring two glasses of tea before sitting down himself beside her. "Are you sure you're okay?" Draco asked quietly as he handed her the glass of tea.

She nodded, "I'm fine. Glad to be sitting." Taking the tea from him she met his eyes, "You don't need to worry about me, it's your parents you need to worry about."

At that reminder Draco blinked, looking down at his cup before letting out a slow sigh. "I do not feel like it's a reason to worry. It's more nerves than anything else. They are thrilled, and hopefully this will make them even more thrilled." Draco explained slightly, though not sure it completely explained why he was nervous. Astoria was sure they would be thrilled as well, so her nerves were more about being around the Malfoy's than anything else.

Remaining silent she took a sip of her tea, the warmth spreading down her throat to her stomach. Before she could say anything though Draco spoke again. "Though that does not mean I won't worry about you. Haven't you figured that out yet?" He said quietly so his voice wouldn't travel to the kitchen.

A smirk spread across her face as she set her cup down. "Oh yes, I figured that out after you find me on the bathroom floor crying and freaked that I had fell and hurt myself and the baby, insisting on going to the Healer regardless of my protests." Astoria responded, shaking her head at the memory. "That was a fun article to read in the Prophet the next morning."

Draco laughed, "I'm not sure fun is quite the right word for that morning. But I suppose there are worse reasons to stay inside for a day or two."

Nodding at that Astoria didn't respond, taking another sip of tea as she recalled those days. Draco had indeed freaked once he processed what he had scene, and not even five minutes later he had apparated her to see the Healer. After it was confirmed that yes she was indeed pregnant, and that the baby was fine, they had left, only to find a Prophet reporter and photographer in the lobby. They snapped a picture before either of them could stop it, and the news somehow escaped that she was indeed pregnant. The result was the following days they spent in the house they had bought, their stuff already back from their honeymoon and their house already set up to live in.

At the time she had been restless to get out of the house, but looking back she realized it really was a beneficial time for both of them. Not only did it give them a chance to come to terms slightly with the fact that they were going to be parents, it also gave them a chance to talk and communicate like they hadn't been forced to do by that point. While things weren't completely comfortable between them, Astoria still having issues with Draco not opening up or sharing his thoughts while also having issues being so close to him, she would admit their relationship was slowly getting better. Though she definitely thought this was a test on either of them, even if Draco acted so confident at times.

When she heard the click of heals Astoria looked up to see Narcissa reappear, a smile on her face while she stopped and clasped her hands in front of her. "Astoria, I found Winky, she believes she remembers the potion so she will whip some up for you." Narcissa said softly, before sitting down on the edge of one of the chairs. "Anytime you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask, especially while you're here for the Holiday."

Clearing her throat slightly she responded, "Thank you Mrs. Malfoy."

"Please, dear, call me Narcissa."

Nodding once Astoria amended, "Thank you Narcissa."

"Not a problem dear." Narcissa replied with a small smile, before changing the topic. "Now, I had your things taken to your rooms. Draco, you'll remember the guest rooms? Those have been renovated for you two during your stays." At that Draco only nodded, Astoria not having a response to that. Luckily they didn't have to speak when a house elf appeared at that moment to announce dinner. "Oh, excellent. Winky, please inform Lucius. Draco, Astoria, please, come have a seat." Narcissa said, standing as she took the lead to the dining area, Astoria feeling her stomach drop at the thought of being around Lucius Malfoy.

While he had done his time and had his regrets she still wasn't completely comfortable around the older Malfoy, and though she hadn't told Draco she wasn't sure she ever would be. Pushing the thought to the back of her mind she allowed Draco to help her up, letting him lead the way while she tried to act more confident than she truly felt. Lucius had truly done some terrible things, and part of her questioned whether he actually had changed his ways, or whether she needed to look over her shoulder in the shadows.


	4. Chapter 4

They had already finished the first course by the time Lucius arrived. Narcissa and Draco greeted the older man warmly, Astoria giving a nod and a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. The years since the war had been hard on Lucius, the man falling from grace in the Ministry and in society. Since then he had done his best to climb his way back up, surely stepping on toes in the process. The news that she was pregnant had delighted Lucius. While Draco and Narcissa were both pleased with that Astoria couldn't help but feel uneasy. Only once had she mentioned her uneasiness to Draco, who quickly explained it away as part of the pregnancy nerves. So since then she hadn't mentioned it, though she also hadn't been overly friendly to the older man.

"Sorry I'm late." Lucius offered to Narcissa, not explaining where he had been or what he had been up to. After he sat down though Blinky served the main dish; pasta cooked al dente served with a tomato based sauce. Now that Lucius was there though Astoria's stomach was a knot of nerves. Her and Draco had originally agreed to tell his parents the sex of the baby at dinner, but after a quick glance at Draco she could tell by the pinched look in his eyes that he wasn't quite ready to tell them either. Placing her hand on his knee under the table she gave it a squeeze, Draco looking up to meet her eyes. He held her gaze only for a moment, long enough to determine himself and give a nod before returning to his plate of food.

When Draco spoke though it wasn't to bring up the baby, it was instead to discuss the latest Quidditch game. Astoria didn't say anything, remaining silent as she all but picked at her food. Even though she took her time with her food too soon dessert was being served with tea over in the lounge area. Holding onto the cup of tea she focused on holding her hand steady, taking a sip while Draco sat beside her. Narcissa was prattling on about how they had determined to not have a Holiday party with everything going on, Astoria silently thankful for that fact. The last thing she wanted to do was thank hundreds of people for the congratulations on her pregnancy. When Narcissa had fallen silent though Draco cleared his throat.

Her stomach jumped at the sound, looking at Draco as he set his tea down before grabbing her cup and setting it down as well. Draco didn't speak though until he had grabbed her hands. "Mother, Father, we do have some news to share with you. The other day we had a visit with the Healer, just for a check-up, but at that time we were given the option of finding out the sex of the child." Draco paused for a moment, almost as if he was bracing himself before continuing. "We chose to find out, and there will soon be a baby boy for you to dote upon."

At the news Narcissa let out a gasp, a smile on her face as she sat the cup down and clasped her hands together. "Oh! A baby boy! Did you hear that dear? A grandson!" Narcissa said, ecstatic at the news as she stood up and walked over towards them, giving her a hug first before turning her eyes to Draco.

"A boy. Just you wait Draco, I'm sure he'll give you as much grief as you've given me." Lucius said, Astoria not able to determine whether he was joking or serious by his tone. But by the time she looked at the man there was a smile on his face as he clapped Draco on the shoulder.

"Well, that went well." Draco said, well over an hour later once they were finally alone in their rooms for the night.

Astoria resisted the urge to snort, instead rolling her eyes as she headed towards the lounge at the end of the bed. "Well? You classify that as well? I think your mother was more excited than we were. If I had known telling the news would bring on an hour of talk about the nursery I may have suggested waiting until tomorrow to tell." Sitting down she kicked her boots off, glancing up at Draco to see him smirking.

"Yes, I don't think either of us thought that would happen. Even father looked pleased." He said, sounding as surprised as she was at that fact. "If you're not careful though mother will take over the plans for the nursery."

"That is not going to happen. She gets to decorate a nursery at the Manor. The nursery at the house is going to be decorated by us." Astoria said, shaking her head in determination.

Draco nodded, "And she will respect that, as long as you listen to her ideas of course." At that Astoria gave him a glare, causing Draco to let out a laugh, a smirk breaking the glare on Astoria face at his laugh. "Alright, let me tell you the brief tour of this room at least, so we can get to sleep. Through that door," Draco said, indicating the door on the right side of the room, "is the bathroom, and attached to that is the closet where our clothes should already be. As for the other rooms, I'll show you them in the morning."

She had no arguments to that plan and simply nodded in acknowledgement. "That sounds like a good plan. Now, I'm going to go change clothes and get some sleep. I'm sure your mother won't let us sleep the day away tomorrow." Draco nodded at that, and Astoria forced herself to her feet and headed towards the door Draco had indicated. As she entered the lights turned on, the bathroom as luxurious as she had expected it to be. It was done in clean whites, a counter with two sinks taking up one wall while the shower and rather large tub took up the opposite wall. Between the shower and tub was a doorway, Astoria walking through it to see it was the closet.

As Draco had predicted their clothes were already put away in there, Astoria locating her pajamas in the drawers on the side. After pulling on a loose nightgown she headed back to the bathroom, brushing out her hair and brushing her teeth before returning to the bedroom. Once she was seated on the bed Draco disappeared into the bathroom, Astoria laying back against the pillows with a sigh, exhausted. Before Draco had even returned she had fallen asleep, burrowed under the soft blankets with her arm resting over her stomach.


	5. Chapter 5

As Astoria had predicted, the next morning was an early one. But it was the fact that the next several mornings were early ones as well that had her frazzled. They had been at the chateau for a mere three days and each of those mornings Blinky had been sent to their room early to announce breakfast. All three mornings Astoria had silently put up with it; she had grudgingly pulled herself out of bed and gotten dressed, attended breakfast with Draco and Narcissa, then allowed herself to be dragged out shopping by Narcissa who had plans to shop for everything from baby clothes to last minute Christmas presents.

By that point she wasn't sure what else Narcissa felt like she needed to buy for the baby. It seemed like she already had one of everything in blue and green by that point, not to mention a whole bedroom suite for the chateau for the baby. At first she thought Narcissa was going to not only purchase the furniture for the chateau, but for the Manor and her own house as well. Thankfully though it seemed that she wanted something English for the Manor. That had just been the previous days excursion, and Astoria had been hopeful that they had finally run out of things to shop for. But as Winky woke them the fourth day Astoria finally let out a curse as Blinky disappeared, turning over to bury her head into the pillows.

"Draco, I don't know how much longer I can do this." Astoria said after a moment, her words slurring slightly since she was still half asleep. She heard him sigh, feeling his shift on the bed before he finally spoke.

"Do what? Wake up early? Go shopping with mother? Leave me to either carry the bags or find entertainment here? There's many things you say you can no longer do by this point." Draco said, the sarcasm evident even though it was obvious he was tired.

"That, all of it, I just, need to relax. To sleep. I've never been so tired of shopping in my life, and that will be the only time you'll hear me say that." Astoria said, feeling slightly more awake though in no willing condition to move. There was no immediate response from Draco, and Astoria didn't expect one. What could he do? What could he say? He knew just how tired she was of shopping, but anytime he broached the topic with his mother it got nowhere. After a few minutes Astoria rolled onto her back with a sigh. "Fine, I claim the bathroom first." Astoria said, before getting up and heading to the bathroom, hearing a pillow hitting the door as it shut behind her.

A good twenty minutes later, record time for her, she had showered and dressed finally leaving the bathroom for Draco's use. She used the mirror above the two chairs in the bedroom to finish her hair before slipping her shoes on. It wasn't long before Draco was ready, the two of them heading down to the dining room for breakfast. Narcissa was already seated, and after Draco apologized for their lateness the two of them took a seat.

"It's no problem dear." Narcissa replied before continuing. "Now, Astoria dear, I have big plans for us today. But it's all a surprise dear, I don't want to ruin any of it." Astoria felt as if she had to hold in a groan, an effort by that point. As she reached to pour herself a cup of tea she heard Narcissa continue. "Draco, you can join us if you want, but I'm not sure if would be anything you would enjoy." With Narcissa's eyes on Draco a small smirk pulled the corner of Astoria's mouth up. Oh she was sure he would take advantage and stay there. He had made the mistake of going with them once during the past days, and she was sure he wouldn't do it again.

"I'm sure you're right Mother, I think I may just stay here. Perhaps put together the furniture you bought yesterday." Draco said, using the first excuse he could apparently think of even though they all knew it would take not even five minutes for him to put the furniture together.

"What an excellent idea Draco. Once the furniture's put together we can start decorating." Narcissa said, sounding more excited than Astoria felt. "Well, I will let you two finish your breakfast, than we will be on our way." The older woman added, giving them both a smile before standing up and departing the room.

Finally Astoria let out a sigh, not looking forward to the day at all. "Nice excuse Draco." Astoria said as she looked up at him, seeing him smile slightly.

"What can I say? I had to think of something. Although I'm not sure if she would've cared whether I had a reason to stay or not. She almost sounded like she didn't want me to go." Draco said, Astoria silently agreeing on that fact. It had sounded like Narcissa wanted it to just be them two, and Astoria wasn't sure if she wanted to find out why. Although the previous days she had practically insisted Draco go.

"It did, didn't it." Astoria finally said softly, agreeing with his words before taking a sip of her tea, breakfast sure to be over much too soon.

As Narcissa beckoned Astoria out the door she had just enough time to catch a glance of Draco, who was standing with his hands in the pocket by the stairs. The next second the door was shut, Narcissa heading on down the path to the street. Already she was talking about something, Astoria having to force her mind to the conversation.

"Now, I know I have kept you busy dear, but I know all too well how little you'll want to do here in a few months. But, never-the-less, I feel that I have come up with the perfect idea of how to spend today. Don't fear, it is not in another store shopping, but that is all I can say. Otherwise the surprise will be ruined." Narcissa said, pausing long enough to give her a smile before they reached the gates of the property.

Much to Astoria's surprise the first morning Narcissa dragged her out, the Malfoy's own a Muggle car. Of course, it had been magically extended to hold any large purchases, and all one had to do was tap the dash and think of their destination and the car did the rest. But it blended in much better than just apparating out front of the store. Since it would be too obvious to have a house elf be the driver, or even to have no driver at all, they did pay a local wizard to play the role of chauffer when they wanted to go anywhere.

Narcissa helped Astoria in the back of the car, leaning to tell the wizard where to take them quietly before sliding into the seat next to Astoria. Once the door was shut the car took off with a gentle lurch. "I do not want you to stress today, dear. I'm sure everything is still quite a bit overwhelming and I sure do hope today helps. I used to come here, years ago, when I was pregnant with Draco. I found it so relaxing so I'm hoping you'll find it the same." Narcissa said, her words much quicker than normal. Astoria wasn't sure if this was due to the words themselves, or just if she wanted to get what she had on her mind out so she wouldn't say anything else.

"I'm sure whatever you have planned will be delightful Mrs. Malfoy." Astoria said softly, giving her a small smile.

"Please, dear, I've told you millions of times; call me Narcissa." The older woman replied, giving a wave of her hand to elaborate her words.

"Yes, Narcissa." She responded, holding in a sigh as she glanced out the window to watch the passing land and houses. The two women fell silent for the rest of the car ride, the countryside soon turning into city streets that were streaming with people. Somehow, the car managed to avoid any major traffic jams, and before long they had wound their way through the city, to the building Astoria recognized would take them into Wizarding France. Astoria perked up at that thought, much preferring that to being around Muggles, and when they came to a stop out front the building she was more than willing to get out of the car.

While Narcissa instructed the driver Astoria headed into the building, the cold outside finally getting to her. She was greeted with warm words, Astoria giving them a smile in return before turning to see Narcissa follow in after her. "Alright, right this way dear. I am just so excited." Narcissa said, the wide smile on her face proving her words to be true. Silently Astoria followed her out the back of the shop into the wide streets lined with witches just starting their shopping. Narcissa went up one street and down the next, finally stopping outside a small shop with just a name in the window, Delilah's. Giving the older woman a curious glance she followed her in to find a woman behind a desk who glanced up at their entrance.

"Mrs. Malfoy! How absolutely lovely to see you again! Appointment for two, yes?" The woman said with a smile and a nod, "You know the way, right through the door."

"Thank you Delilah." Narcissa said before glancing at her with a smile, "Come dear, no reason to be afraid."

It wasn't that Astoria would consider herself afraid, but more apprehensive about what Narcissa has planned. Still she followed her through the doorway, into a white room that looked a bit like a salon, but not quite. After a cursory glance around the room her eyes fell back upon Narcissa, the confused look apparently evident on her face. "Astoria, dear, I want to treat you to a spa day. A massage, facial, manicure, pedicure, anything you want. This place has treated me wonderfully, regardless of how anyone else may be treating me, and I'm confident they will treat you just the same." Narcissa explained, a smile on her face and a misty look in her eyes. "I know this isn't what either of you two wanted, but you have worked through it beautifully, and for what it is worth, I am very proud of you both."

Astoria wasn't too sure what to say, stunned by what Narcissa had planned for them, and by her acknowledgement of how little they desired this union. No one had even bothered to say such a thing, not since she had first been told about it. It was that acknowledgement that brought the prickling of tears in the corners of her eyes, Astoria taking a step forward towards Narcissa. Carefully, almost afraid she would be scolded, she took hold of the Narcissa's hand, holding it tight before she finally spoke.

"Narcissa, I-I don't know what to say." Astoria said, fumbling for words and failing to find any. Before she could continue Narcissa interrupted.

"You don't have to say a thing dear. Just, enjoy."

The sweet smile on Narcissa's face was almost enough to make Astoria cry, her quick blinking being the only thing stopping the tears. She mentally blamed it on the hormones, but in reality she knew no one had ever said something so sweet to her, other than her sister, and if they had they certainly hadn't meant it. But she managed to keep the tears back, giving Narcissa a small nod and smile before letting go of her hand and glancing around the room. "So, where do we begin?" Astoria asked, earning a laugh from Narcissa.

"Wherever you like. This is your day dear, enjoy it." The older woman responded, before adding, "I know I certainly will." Her words enough to bring another smile to Astoria's face.


End file.
